Picking Up where They Left Off
by Blu Rose
Summary: "Even though he had been gripped by Darkness, she was trapped in another realm, and he was comatose for years, they could still hope that things would be alright." A short story about Terra, Aqua and Ven done in commemoration of KH's 10th anniversary.


**Wow. It's been ages since I've done a Kingdom Hearts fic. I was hoping the next one I did would be a major rewrite of Twilight Heart in honor of KH's 10****th**** anniversary—which I can't believe since it feels like not too long ago that I played and nearly beat the game that started it all. But that would take too long and I have problems at home with flickering lights and electric surges that make it difficult to get long stories finished. (Plus it's meant to be a saga like Xehanort Saga…yeah.) SO I decided to do another little oneshot set after the events of the Xehanort Saga, this one about Terra, Aqua and Ventus.**

_DISCLAIMER!: Blu Rose does not own the Kingdom Hearts series or its characters. She only owns the story that she's written about it._

**X-X-X**

It felt odd being back home after all of this time. Although the Land of Departure had been partially destroyed by darkness, then changed into a labyrinth of sorts for the sake of protecting Ven, it was the same as they had left it, more or less—maybe in desperate need of repairs here and there from the events that took place within and without it, but still the same place with the same memories of happy times.

Even if they all had changed since last they left its hills.

Even though Darkness still existed in the universe and they would still need to train to become strong enough to protect it, Ventus had hoped that things would be able to get back to normal with the (hopefully final) destruction of Xehanort and the three of them brought back together: Terra, Aqua and Ven, Keyblade wielders, apprentices of Eraqus and friends for life. Even though _he_ was now old enough to be their father, _she_ had spent years in the Realm of Darkness, and _he_ had his heart broken and fell into a coma for the same amount of time, all because of one man… But it would turn out alright.

He had _hoped_…

There were no hard feelings about what had happened. Neither Ven nor Aqua held Terra in contempt for the things he had done—things that were orchestrated by people who took advantage of his willingness to use his power to help others and manipulated his struggles with his inner darkness for their own desires. The boy had always seen Terra as Terra and the girl, after all the events that took place, learned that you could walk along the darkness and still carry the light unlike so many corrupted hearts.

But Terra still held some contempt towards himself.

Whether or not he was being controlled by others or his own darkness, he still felt partially responsible for some of the things that had occurred. It was _his_ hands that wrote those fake reports and created the Emblem Heartless. _His_ partial Heartless that possessed Riku. _His_ Nobody that manipulated others who wanted their hearts back for the sake of the ultimate power. If he had been a stronger, things may not have turned out the way they did.

So Terra left the domain of his master and went into the wilderness of the world to seek some peace of mind.

Was it wrong for him to leave, thinking that he couldn't be around Ven and Aqua until he got his act—and his mind—together? He'd seek solitude at the peak of one of the mountains he was used to seeing from miles away until he either thought of a way to repent for his actions or somehow convinced himself of what his friends had been telling him since they returned to their broken home: _'it's not your fault'_. He wouldn't leave until he did.

But Terra never made it there because of Ven and Aqua.

It had barely been half an hour when the boy found out that his friend was missing. It only took three minutes for Aqua to notice both her friends were missing. After that, it took an hour for both of them to find Terra in the middle of a forest, both frantic and worried that he had left. While one part of them knew that their friend would need some time alone to cope with what happened in the past, another part felt like it was justified for Terra not to be apart from them. It wasn't a fear caused by the thought of their friend doing the same sort of vile things that Xehanort had done. They just didn't want to be apart from him. After all that time, they wanted to keep a close eye on each other and keep even closer.

They didn't want anything to force them apart like all those years ago.

Aqua and Ven made to drag Terra out of the wilderness and head back, but his resistance is only momentary. Perhaps it was the sad and worried tone in Ven's voice when he asked where Terra was going or the sad, almost hurt look in Aqua's eyes when she pondered aloud whether or not Terra wanted to be around them anymore, or even his realization that his actions were hurting his friends, but he came willingly. Solitude may not have been the best way to get over his problems. Even though they were on the same world and even though they would forever be connected by their hearts, what he needed—what they _all_ needed was to be together and mend from the experience like the castle that they called _'home'_.

And maybe someday, their lives could pick up where they left off.

**X-X-X**

**Remember to review for the sake of Blu! And remember to celebrate ****Kingdom Heart's 10****th**** Anniversary**** in any way you can!**


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